HARTFORD, Conn. – Today State Senator John A. Kissel (R-Enfield) released the following statement regarding the State Senate approval of a bipartisan budget that avoids the governor’s devastating executive order and puts Connecticut on a path of fiscal responsibility.

“This budget shows what can happen when both sides work together and agree to cooperate to move our state forward,” said Sen. Kissel. “While it does contain compromises on both sides, it includes significant structural changes that will help move our state on a fiscally responsible path. It includes a strong spending cap, which is something that was promised to taxpayers more than 20 years ago and something that our state needs. It also includes a bonding cap which is nearly $1 billion less than what the current administration has bonded in recent years. Importantly, this budget avoids the devastating impact of the governor’s executive order. This bipartisan budget also preserves a significant amount of municipal aid, avoids massive tax increases, provides for municipal mandate relief and avoids shifting teacher pension costs onto our cities and towns. In fact, I went over this budget with our local board of education and they were extremely thankful to have a budget compromise that avoids the devastating executive order from the governor’s office.”

The bipartisan budget passed the State Senate in a vote of 33-3 and now heads to the House of Representatives for a vote.